The Worship of Wealth

Sermon Reflections from Ask Me Anything: The Worship of Wealth | Alex Hardt | September 28, 2024

As Pastor Alex brought his series on tough questions to ask God to a close this Sunday, he focused on money, wealth and why man is so drawn to pursue it. Money was one of the top subjects that Jesus addressed as it is so much a part of our everyday life. We need it in society to meet our basic needs and yet the pursuit of it alone is an empty goal. With so many things in life, love, power, money, education, technology, etc., we seek these things thinking they will bring us contentment and satisfaction. Pastor quoted the famous 16th century scientist, mathematician and theologian, Blaise Pascal 1623-1662. “There is a God-shaped vacuum in the heart of each person which cannot be satisfied by any created thing but only by God, the creator.” Man has been struggling for centuries on end to fill that hole. We know as believers that only God can satisfy the soul. Psalm 107:9 “For he satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul he fills with good things.” Men have been and still are seeking satisfaction in every place but where they are sure to find it, in Jesus!

Galileo supported the theory that the sun was the center of the universe not the earth. He invented a telescope to view the stars, Saturn’s rings and the moons of Jupiter. He lived from 1564-1642 and was imprisoned by the church for his beliefs as he would not recant them. In 1980, Pope John Paul II, righted the condemnation and reinstated Galileo. Why I mention this is because he is remembered for saying, “Mathematics is the language with which God has written the universe.” “The Bible show us not how heaven goes, but how to go to heaven.” He sought to find truth in the universe, mathematics, etc. and discovered that God is there. He only need to look and seek Him. The truth was evident in creation. Those who seek can find God and fill that hole in our souls.

Pastor Alex made the case that money is a dangerous pit that one can fall into if you decide to make money your ‘god’. A god is something you value and place above and before all other things. God tells us He is to be above all people and things. Deuteronomy 6:5 “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” Anything else becomes an idol.

The complexity of our problem is that we have to earn money, spend money and keep money in the process of our daily lives. How do we not become consumed with the ‘love’ of money and what it will buy? It is a tricky balance and one that needs set priorities. Matthew 6:33-34 “ But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. 34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” We are to keep our focus on God and He will take care of all the rest. There is nothing for us to do but TRUST in Him! Because of our independent natures this is difficult to learn. Takes a lifetime!
Lastly, Pastor Alex talked about not serving money. Matthew 6:24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.”

​This again speaks to priorities but it is more than that. One who serves money is driven by it. From money, they derive power over things and others. It becomes their god. Even if they say they don’t worship it, everything in the life says otherwise. It is a good warning given by Jesus to not let our addictions, passions, desires lead us. Paul describes this lifestyle in Ephesians 2:2-4. It was common among new believers as they tried to break away. “in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body[a] and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.” That is what their old life looked like. Paul encouraged them as he continued in Ephesians 2: 5-7 “in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.” Paul says we have it all in Christ! Praise God for our blessed Savior!

On a personal note, I have enjoyed Pastor Alex’s series on tough questions. It has challenged my thinking and caused me to give praise for our gracious heavenly Father who is omnipotent and sovereign in all things.
Linda

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